New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-04-27

ing the vicious intruder raised its
head, and returned her stare with q
look Of intelligence.
1t was a moccasin locality. and Mrs.
Matson did not care a snap OF her fin
ger for a few snakes around her front
| door. She was accustomed to find
them in her flower beds, and some
times they made their way into the
house, but on this particular morning
she was not herself. She turned her
head and saw another snake.
| With an uncomfortable shudder the
nervous little lady walked across the
hall into another room, and looked
out towards the garden. What was
| that dark thing just outside the fence?
There could be no doubt aboutit. It
| was another snake.
By this time Mrs. Matson's blood
was up. Calling Sally, one of the SER
wants, she sent her to the kitchen to
order the cooks boy Joe to make a
| circuit OF the house and kill every
snake in sight,
In two minutes Sally returned with
a face almost bleacned.
''Joe done gone ter de fell" she
said; IAN cook already killed two big
snakes in de kitchen, an done shet de
do. | see five uf UNI in de yard an
one under de steps,
serious aspect. Mrs. Matson at once
| had all the doors closed, and proceed
ed to inspect the surroundings from
every window in the house.
| What she saw appalled, her. The
fierce rays Of the sun made every OBJ
ject appear to pulse and throb, and
half blinded as she was with the glare,
it took some little time for her to
Salty herself that she was not mis-
taken.
Twisting and twining among the
! flowers she counted at least O. dozen
serpents. They dotted the lawn in
front Of the house and were crawling
along the winding walks. In tie shady
back yard it was still worse. The little
| Enclosure appeared to be aliving, wrig.
Cling mass ofshining scales and glitter
ing eyes. Many Of the snakes were
running under the house, but how many
had already reached that place Of
shelter the frighteni watcher was un-
able to tell
| Mrs: Matson reiterated to the spa
cious hall and clasped her hands over
her eyes. 1t was a peculiar noise that
she heard. 1t sounded like a gentle
kissing, mingled with arustling and an
occasional mufled flap, flap! What
could it be? 1t was easy enough to
answer the question. The noise could
only have been made by the scores,
and perhaps hundreds, OF squirming,
twisting reptiles under the house.
For the first time in her life Mrs.
Matson was thoroughly terrified.
Obeying a sudden impulse, she rushed
into the room assigned to the invalid.
Aunt Lucy stood covering in one
corner, trembling with fear and unable
to utter a word.
Sitting upright in bed, with an un-
natural glitter in his eyes and darling
his odd little head from side to side
was the unknown guest.
etLadee," he said in an unfamiliar
brogue, ''be not afraid No harm ter
dees house. Mesoon meself. Strange
theengs alarm de ladee. Eets all
right
Mrs. Matson waited to hear no more;
she ran frantically to the parlor and
bolted herself in
"Ladee! Ladeey'
It was the voice OF the stranger out
in the hall. There was sound as of
somebody struggling, and the mellow
voice OF Aunt Lucy was uplifted in
vain remonstrance.
'sMissus, oh, mlssus," she cried s'Dis
yer Mister Man hab done got on his
clothes, an is er takin' on pow'ful. He
says he bound fer ter co.
'Ladee, goodbye. | promised no
harm ter dees house. So I go. Good
bye, good-bye!"
There was another struggle, and
yell from Aunt Lucy, and then the
opening and closing OF door signaled
the mans departure.
From the back windows the mis-
tress of the house and the
ed women saw the strangest sight that
mortal eyes ever beheld.
Onward down the slope leading to
the river walked or rather glided the
stranger.
From every clump OF shrubbery and
every tuft OF grass darted snake.
The man swayed two and fro, whirl-
ing his arms. welcoming and reckoning
the feglon OF serpents. WhiZzing
through the grass, tossing their heads
and kissing all the while the excited
moccasins soon closed in upon the
man. They twined around his legs,
girded his waist, hung upon his arms
and shoulders and wrapped themselves
about his neck until he was a moving
tower Of snakes!
Onward, down to the river whirled
this strange combinationofm onsters.
The distracted watchers at the big
house strained their eyes to see the
end Of it all.
The moving mass disappeared. 4
There was plunge into the yellow
waters OF the broad river, and all was
over
When John Matson returned late
that afternoon, he found a perfect
bedlam at his house. From the SER